As Time Goes By
by Major Mario
Summary: A request for Ryu19. Teaching and tending to the next generation is full of trials and triumphs. For Chun-Li and Cammy, the two famous ladies of fighting, their child brings about much in their lives. Can they protect her from what she doesn't need to know? Can they arm her with a fighting heart? Can they succeed in giving the girl the life they were denied?
1. Genesis

**Author's Note:** Before I go any further, I just want to thank all of those who have reviewed my stories in the past. While I may not show it, I'm grateful for every bit of feedback and every tiny bit of activity. I do read them, and I try to reply to every single one. That said, this is another story from my deviantART vault. It is a request by a 'Ryu19'.

* * *

It seemed simple enough between each other. One woman who was married to another had gotten pregnant. If it had been left at that, anyone would have understood and left it be. However, Chun-Li's mouth had gone a mile a minute in the company of her American partner, and she found herself lucky that he did not flinch back in disgust. Instead, the airman had his face set in a stoic expression. The only thing that betrayed his stonewall front was his widened eyes.

"You know no-one else is going to believe you two."

"You believe us," Cammy said with a sheepish smile. "And you're usually skeptical of everything that's shoveled your way."

"When it involves Shadaloo, maybe. When it involves things that are too good to be true, absolutely," Guile grumbled. "I didn't say I believe your story, but I can tell by looking at you that you are in fact, pregnant. I can grasp that part."

"What can't you understand, brush head?" Chun-Li growled. "After all Bison did to make Cammy his elite clone, did you expect her to be able to bear children? Sure, we thought of adoption at first, but Cammy had the great idea to go to someone who was the exact opposite of Bison. If Bison could destroy, Rose could create."

"By that logic, I can understand perfectly."

Chun-Li crossed her arms and huffed as she looked over the table at Guile. It wasn't her idea to make the big revelation to the airman in an old Irish pub, but Cammy had insisted. When the woman had an idea, it was hard to sway her away from it, and it was near impossible to stop her when a craving was involved. Last time it was potato wedges with buffalo sauce, so who knew what she would order this time. Calamari? Curry chips? Humus?

"Then just what is incomprehensible for you?" Cammy wondered as she patted her stomach.

"The conception," was the Major's curt response.

Both women glanced at each other and blushed again. They had decided they wanted to have a child together, and Rose had come forward out of the blue in an offer to cut out the middleman. She was always an enigmatic soul, but she dropped her illusive and cryptic way of acting and offered to help Cammy in her quest for happiness. The gypsy was technically her mother, and when she revealed that she had a way to allow her and her partner to conceive a child together, the two were overjoyed.

Then they visibly paled when they were told about what had to be done.

There was no simple way for Rose to put it, so she went on in great detail about her ritual in hopes of calming down the women in her company. Basically, an act of upmost intimacy would provide the medium to which her soul power would work within. Genetic material from both women would be melded together and deposited safely and securely within Cammy's womb to form an embryo, as it was much more reactive to Rose's power. Chun-Li and Cammy were to perform the act in front of the gypsy in the privacy of her secluded shop, but Chun-Li was too aghast to follow through.

Cammy, however, easily persuaded her wife when she turned her baby blue eyes on her. She wanted a child, but more than that, she wanted a child with her love. It would have been crazy to deny her that want. Although awkward at first, the two went ahead with the unorthodox procedure. Eventually, the gypsy bystander was blocked out as the couple mewed and moaned in each other's embrace. Rose had gone to work, idly commenting that the ritual was not the strangest thing she had done in her life, and finished just as the women's stamina waned.

"You know what; I'm going to just pretend you got pregnant by some other means… Something my brother-in-law can comprehend, no offense," Guile added. "Putting that aside, I'll have you two know that I'm happy for you. Really. You couldn't have picked a better time for this."

Chun-Li and Cammy nodded solemnly at that. A month ago, Shadaloo and S.I.N. were at each others' throats. Their attacks and grabs at territory always put innocent people in their crosshairs, and for those in law enforcement, this could not continue. Before significant action could be taken, the infighting suddenly stopped. Shadaloo forces seemed to have all but disappeared, and S.I.N. weapons and agents simply vanished. It wasn't until the CIA double-agent Crimson Viper came forward with information did light shine on the fate of the empires.

The two empires had crumbled as a result of infighting, but the one who put the war in motion was none other than Juri Han. She played the part of the manipulator and used the deaths of both Bison and Seth to her advantage. If the organizations fought because the leaders were at each others' throats, all was good. If they continued to fight out of an inane sense of vengeance, that was an added bonus. When both parties had nothing left to throw at each other, Juri packed her bags and left without a word of goodbye.

She was still out there somewhere, and she was evading capture with every second she spent on the run. Her motive for destroying both Shadaloo and S.I.N. was unknown, and even if Chun-Li and Cammy knew what it was, it wouldn't have made a lick of difference. She was a wanted woman, and she had to pay for her crimes. Balrog and Vega were wanted men from their time under Bison, but they were caught, unlike the Korean woman.

"We'll find her," Cammy muttered. "But for now, this is the perfect time to settle down and… and raise a family."

"Good luck to you both," Guile said. "As for me… It's about time I head back home to be a family man again."

"Wouldn't want to give Ken any material to use against you now," Chun-Li sniggered.

* * *

"Oh! Now look at this…"

The Interpol officer turned her head to look at her wife and grinned. The woman was standing in front of a large box with bright colors and an eccentric contraption posted on the front. Cammy was just six months into her pregnancy, and between her research and sapped energy, she hardly had any time to prepare living arrangements. Luckily for her, Delta Red had granted her a substantial amount of time off on maternity leave to do everything she could to bring the baby into a well-prepared environment.

This meant that certain items needed to be procured. There were the essentials, like diapers, baby powder, pacifiers, high chair, special food, etc., and then there were the luxuries. For Chun-Li and Cammy, they could not afford to spare expenses when it came to caring for their unborn child, and so they went on a shopping spree. They bought mobiles, music, toys, and all sorts of stimulation perfect for any newborn. The staff was very helpful towards the couple, and they assisted them to the best of their abilities.

One of the last things that the staff directed the couple towards was a crib. Cribs were almost considered a symbol of newborns, as virtually no family could live without one when they had a new child. Cammy prodded the box in front of her with a giddy smile, somewhat noticing her partner looking over her shoulder. The crib inside the box was large and spacious but simple enough to prevent the couple from making a dent in their pocketbooks. The red of the item was bright and attractive to look at, and it would fit in nicely within the guest room of a new home.

"What do you think of this, Chun?" Cammy asked.

"I like it. Ooh, the red's going to look good against tan." Chun-Li pulled the box out and turned it over. "Easy to pick up, easy to install, easy to maintain. Hm… doesn't sound like much of a challenge now, does it?"

"Well, in a few months I can place a challenge in there for you."

"Oh you." Chun-Li placed the crib on a nearby cart and pinched her wife's cheek. "Such a tease."

Cammy grinned and brushed the hand away from her face. It was good to see the woman in a good mood, as the pregnancy had a tendency to cause mood-swings. Cravings and morning sickness were easy enough to deal with, but fits, tears, and euphoria in one day was a terrible thing to deal with. But Chun-Li had gone through worse, and she stuck with her wife through the rage, she wiped her tears away, and she shared in her happiness. What kind of woman would she be if she erred in her support?

"You know, I had a thought the other day," Cammy started.

"Oh dear," Chun-Li playfully interjected.

"No no no, I was thinking about what to teach our child. What kind of fighting style, I mean."

Nobody in the world could have noticed Chun-Li's smile fade slightly at her wife's words. Not even Cammy could see a difference in the smile, not that she spared a look in her euphoric state. Teaching their child how to fight brought forward a sad manifestation in the Chinese woman's stomach, but it had to be done. As for who their child would be, that was meant to be a surprise. Cammy was hoping for a girl, and she had reasoning behind said hope.

"Whoever our child turns out to be, they'll need to be able to protect themselves. If we get a girl, I'm sure we can put our heads together and work on a good style for self-defense." Chuckling, Cammy added, "I can't imagine she'd be too keen on wrapping her legs around someone's head in a Frankensteiner. But… Huh, I don't have much of an idea if we get a little boy."

"I'm sure Yun and Yang could help him out. He'd be in good hands that way. One uncle's a tactician while the other's a hands-on sort who'll be able to keep up with him."

"Speaking of uncles that aren't technically uncles," Cammy muttered, furrowing her brow, "here comes one right now…"

Chun-Li looked up and immediately groaned. Walking towards them with a trademark goofy grin was none other than Dan Hibiki, dressed in his usual pink gi. The man was fun to be around for awhile, but there was only so much of his childlike personality that people could take. Why he was wandering about in an English store was beyond Chun-Li's comprehension, as he usually never traveled far from his dojo. But the man had a tendency to show up in random places at the worst of times, and that was usually near people who just couldn't stand him.

"Hey! Chun-Li!" Dan shouted. "I'm surprised to see you in here!"

"Me too, considering this is the _baby aisle_," Chun-Li hissed.

"What? I've got a good reason for coming here."

"Are you trying to pick-up women in a supermarket?!" Cammy asked, astonished.

"Come on, I've got higher standards than that…"

An awkward silence passed as Dan stared at Cammy. His eyes drifted down to her stomach for a moment, and it soon became obvious that he knew something was amiss. After all, the woman was carrying a child, and her belly was somewhat swollen to show that. Dan squatted down and prodded her belly, much to her discomfort.

"Geez, what have you been eating? That 50% discount at my dojo still stands, but I could lower it just a bit more for you." Grinning obliviously, Dan stood up and placed his hands on his hips. "What do you say? I could always use a new student, and you could afford to lose a few pound!"

The color drained from Cammy's face as she took in what Dan had just said. Apparently, the man had mistaken her pregnancy for gluttony. He practically called her fat, and Cammy found herself at a loss for words. She should have slapped him for that or viciously berated him for that, but she didn't. Instead, tears welled up in her eyes. She looked to Chun-Li and tried to ask for reassurance, but it all came out as an incoherent squeak.

Now, Dan wasn't completely obvious to what he had just done. He raised his eyebrows as he watched Cammy fumble for words before trying to apologize. Unfortunately, Chun-Li did not give him the chance. She reached forward and grabbed onto Dan's ear before tugging upwards. A wince and cry of pain accompanied her action as she began to drag him off, uncaring that she was making a scene.

"That's it, let's take this outside," she growled.

"H-help! Police brutality!" Dan yelped.

"I'm off duty!"

* * *

Chun-Li cradled her right hand carefully close to her bosom. A brief spasm of pain came from it, but the woman knew it was nothing more than a pinprick compared to the pain her wife had just recently gone through. She held her hand through it all and encouraged her along with the doctors. It was a long and arduous process, and Cammy squeezed Chun-Li's hand as hard as she could as if it was the only thing keeping her anchored in this world. They shared the best of times, so naturally they had to share the pain.

Giving birth to a child was not as wonderful as society had envisioned it to be. Searing pain had run rampant throughout Cammy's body to such a degree that she had bargained on her hospital cot. She would rather have shards of glass in her eyes. She would rather have two shattered kneecaps. She would rather have four broken limbs. Chun-Li soothed her to the best of her abilities, enough to see her wife through to the witnessing of their child's first cry.

A healthy set of lungs, the doctors had said as they cradled the newborn in their stained white coats. Carefully, they dabbed at the child's skin and cleaned away the liquids to ascertain its gender. It was a girl… a healthy, beautiful little baby girl. Cammy smiled at the revelation before her strength waned. She needed to rest before she could even begin to appreciate her sacrifices. Chun-Li whispered words of praise and respect towards her wife and stayed with her as she rested, choosing to retrieve their new child once the strength returned to the durable doll mother.

Now, she stood inside one of the many wards of the hospital. She leaned forward and looked through a large plane of glass into a small room designed especially for receiving newborns. There were few newborns that day, and they were already occupying a few small beds. The boys sat in their tiny beds wrapped up in blue blankets, no doubt trying to fathom how they came to this world. As for the girls, they slept peacefully in a bright red and silky embrace.

One little girl stood out proudly with a small white sign attached to her bed. It was a dry erase board; nothing special, but written on it was her last name. White. Just that name alone stole the show away from the others. The girl had a trace of blond hair atop her head, no doubt obtained from Cammy.

A doctor came by and nudged Chun-Li before nodding towards the baby. Although the doctors knew how to do their jobs properly, they had the common courtesy to ask permission beforehand. Would the wife like to see the baby, the doctor asked. By this time, Cammy would be sitting up in her cot and asking for her child. Chun-Li could only happily oblige her. She gave the doctor the go-ahead and followed him into the newborn room, where she was finally able to hold her daughter for the first time.

She wanted to stay there and embrace the little girl forever, but she knew that it took a joint-effort to bring the little bundle to life. The doctor directed her back to the room with her wife, and she thanked him for his hand in the birth before moving inside. The little girl in Chun-Li's arms squirmed lightly and snuggled up against her bosom, unintentionally earning herself two soft coos of appreciation. Cammy's watery blue pools practically radiated with joy when she saw her child, and of course, the one who held her.

"She has your hair," Chun-Li whispered as she placed the girl in Cammy's arms.

Cammy did not reply. Instead, she stared at the bundle in her arms as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. The girl breathed in and out slowly before it opened its eyes just a little to get a grasp on her new world. Her gleaming hazel eyes shined brightly in the glow of the room, and Cammy noticed them quickly. She breathed a sigh of relief, as she had nervously expected the child to inherit some trait from her 'father', but it seemed that the child was pure.

Quite possibly… the purest thing ever conceived to date.

"And she has your eyes…" Cammy whispered as she tilted her head up to look at her wife. "Oh god, she's beautiful…"

"You did a fantastic job. But… our work's not done yet today." Chun-Li gently stroked their child's cheek. "We need to give her a name."

"Would you believe that I had more names planned for boys than I did girls?" Cammy chuckled. "Ah, but I have a few ideas. Abigail, Valery, Chloe, Claire…"

"I like that one."

"Which one?"

"Claire," Chun-Li said softly. "I think it has a nice ring."

"Claire… I think I can get used to yelling that," Cammy whispered. "Then it's settled. Claire Valmei White."

"Valmei?"

"It's a Welsh name. It means spring flower." Smiling, Cammy gave her confused wife a quick peck on the lips. "Now we'll have a flower to tend to. I'll be the busy bee and you'll be the spring beauty to bring the whole picture together."

A quiet whimper brought the two's attention back to baby Claire. She squirmed a little, and, with her fat cheeks framing it, she pouted her lips.

"Hehehee… look at that, she pouts just like you too," Chun-Li said with a grin.

That earned her another pout.

* * *

"Claire! Oh dear, I think I'd better follow her..."

"Why? What could possibly g-"

"Chun, please don't finish that sentence."

Chun-Li giggled softly to herself as she watched Cammy chase after a waddling Claire from her laid-out blanket. It was her idea to come down to the park in London to have a picnic, and it was a rather nice day to have one. The sky was clear, the sun was not bearing down on them, and a gentle breeze swept through the area. Flowers glistened in the sunlight and trees rustled here and there as the birds chirped about. It was supposed to be a great day, as Cammy had every detail planed out. However, she did not account for Claire's curiosity.

Cammy maneuvered around a few picnickers as she kept up with her daughter. She could tell that this was just the beginning of a hectic afternoon; one of many. Dealing with their new child wasn't as bad as people had thought it to be. A spot a crying there, a few tussles with diapers there, but not much to put a strain on the lifestyle the two women led. Easygoing… that was the word used to describe Claire's personality from the start, but as time passed, the two women found the little girl was curious and inquisitive. It would have taken a substantial force of extra hands to curb her insatiable desire for knowledge.

Even now, the little toddler with the blonde hair was on a mission to examine the most recent thing to catch her attention. The pockets of her red overalls were stuffed with various small rocks that caught her fancy or other small items, such as a bit of ribbon or trash. She grabbed at a small white bag from her front pocket and waddled towards a small pond. A small contingent of ducks were lazily swimming back and forth either looking for a meal or preening. When they turned their heads to look over at the tiny human girl, they saw crumbs in her hand.

Immediately Claire smiled wide. She tossed a few crumbs in front of her, hardly noticing her mother watching over her from behind. Cammy folded her arms and smiled a little as she saw the ducks waddle up towards her in anticipation of a few scraps. The animals pecked at the ground and squabbled amongst each other to get the bread. Because they were close, Cammy couldn't help but feel concerned for her child. Claire didn't feel concerned at all. She giggled at the antics of the ducks and tossed a few more crumbs their way.

"Now be careful, Claire," Cammy warned softly as she squatted down next to her. "Momma doesn't want you to get pecked now, does she?"

Claire glanced up at her mother for a moment and beamed before tossing a few more crumbs out. Teaching the little sixteen-month-old adventurer how to walk was one accomplishment out of many. She would already crawl to whatever area that was in her sight, so propping her up on two legs seemed more of a reward for her curiosity. Toilet training, and all its torture, would come later. Talking wouldn't be so hard, though, given that Claire had started to babble a bit.

"Aww… Get up there a little closer to her," Chun-Li said from behind the two. She held a small camera in her hand, and she was brandishing it with joyful intent. "Conquistador Claire and her army of ducks. Also Cammy."

Scoffing, Cammy shook her head and grinned. She shot a look at Chun-Li as some of the ducks wandered around the trio in search of bread.

"You want to take a picture?"

"Sure I do. I don't want it looking like it was posed, though, so look at Claire," Chun-Li said. She watched as Cammy turned back to her oblivious daughter before looking through the small window of the camera. "Alright, that's good... Perf-"

"Honk!"

"Yeow!"

Chun-Li flinched and dropped her camera to the grass. All of the ducks scattered at the Chinese woman's exclamation while Cammy stood up with a concerned look. She could see her wife rubbing her backside with comically wide eyes.

"Huh? What happened?" she asked.

"One of them nipped me!" Chun-Li exclaimed.

"Where?"

"You know where…"

A few seconds passed before Cammy finally realized where one of the ducks had nipped at. She tried hard not to smirk, but it was a fruitless case. As she looked at her wife's shocked and disgusted expression, she couldn't help but snicker before eventually building up a bout of laughter. A small nip on the rump was no big deal, given that Chun-Li had been on the receiving end plenty of times. Even Claire began to giggle, even if she had no idea what had happened.

"I-It's not funny!" Chun-Li hissed as her cheeks turned red from embarrassment.


	2. Trials

The soft pitter-patter of paws on carpet could hardly be heard by the few inhabitants of the household. For the old cream-colored cat, everything seemed nice and quiet. The whitewashed walls disappeared when they hit the beige carpet, elegant and practical paintings and photos were hung about, and generally, the hallway was spick and span. The feline had moved to this household when the owners had decided they needed more space. Humans had a tendency for claiming more ground than they needed, but as long as it opened up new hunting ground, the faithful feline was content.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway and paused to lick her paw. Her tail twitched just slightly when a firm vibration caught her attention. Something was making a slight bit of activity somewhere up ahead, and whatever it was, multiple soft trembles would ripple through the hallway in following. Although tempted to continue her bathing, the cat crouched down and moved forward. She hunkered down at a corner and tuned her ears to listen when the vibrations started up again.

In no time at all, a small child appeared around the corner and startled the cat. With her head down and vision partly obstructed by her blond hair, the child hardly noticed the cream cat lying in wait. Instead, she was focused on a strand of red string held tightly in her fingers as she backpedaled down the hallway. The cat meowed softly in amusement when she saw a small entourage of kittens following the string as if it was the most interesting thing in existence.

One kitten, a grey and white one, managed to flip over itself, thus ending its pursuit of the girl and her string. It cast its mother a look that, if translated, would have been one of exasperation. Not even a bunch of kittens and their mother could keep up with Claire Valmei White. Oh they could try, but at the end of the day, their boundless energy hit a major wall while Claire's kept her up and running. It was a good sign, though. An active child was a healthy child.

Claire decided to humor the kittens and slowed down enough for one of them to pounce on the string. The tiny cat managed to rip the string away from the girl's limp hold and batted the object around as if it was still alive. The other kittens leapt onto the string and started a small frenzy over who would get the string. Claire giggled at their antics before the sound of the front door opening, then closing, reached her ears. Someone had come home.

It had to be mommy. Momma was already at home, but she was busy looking at a multitude of tan-colored folders and whatever was inside them. When Claire tried to look, she was nudged away and was slightly chastised for her curiosity. Nothing that momma was looking at was very interesting, but there were a few photos of a tall and strange man that Claire managed to look at before being chased off. The man had to be someone very silly, as he had painted half of his body blue and the other half red.

She trudged through the hallway with a spring in her step. Already she could hear her two mothers talking about their work. Because one was a police officer and the other was a special operative, she always felt safe. She neither questioned why she was always protected; nor did she ask why her parents were constantly looking over their shoulders just recently. Perhaps they were expecting someone, but the way they looked seemed as if they did not like whoever it was. Claire was not put off in the slightest, as her parents usually had that look when Uncle Hibiki stopped by for a visit.

The hushed tone of one parent carried out into the hallway. Claire stopped just before she entered the room her parents were in and pressed up against the doorframe. Usually when mommy came home, she would talk to momma in private before putting on a big smile and wrapping her daughter tight in a warm hug. They never talked about the specifics of their work directly in front of her, and for that, Claire couldn't help but become curious. From her position, she strained to listen in on whatever her parents had to say.

There was something about momma's comment of leaving for some mission that filled Claire with a sense of dread. She knew her parents were heroes like the ones she saw on TV; always helping the weak and defeating the evildoers. Heroes usually came back to their families, but sometimes they did not. Sometimes the heroes went away for a very long time, and their families never saw them again. Claire did not want to lose her parents. She raised her eyebrows at such a thought before walking out into the room.

"It never ends, does it?" Cammy said sadly as she looked at her wife. "Someone has to stay."

"Yeah… And that means one of us has to go," Chun-Li replied.

"Delta Red is going into this tournament. We have enough information to strike with, and no doubt about it we're going to hit them hard. This is not S.I.N., and this is not Shadaloo." Cammy looked down at her hands for a moment. "This… this is much worse. Chun, I don't know what to do…"

Chun-Li was too engrossed in the sight of her wife's mulling over decisions to notice the soft footsteps sneaking up from behind. She knew that Cammy took on all the tough missions and disposed of most of the world's worst terrorists alongside the best of the best. The woman was a Major in Delta Red, and not only was she tasked with performing her duties, she had to command those underneath her. Her words could spell life or death for the men and woman in her command, and in a high-risk operation like the one coming up, she was skeptical of her abilities. If she erred, not only would she lose her life, but her daughter would lose her mother.

"…I'll go."

Cammy's eyes widened a little when she heard that. She looked up at Chun-Li and tried to find the voice to deny her, but nothing came up. It wouldn't do any good anyway. If the Chinese woman said she would do something, she would do it. Hardly anything would deter her from her word but those close to her, and they weren't willing to stop her. Cammy sighed and nodded before she noticed Claire standing just behind them. Startled and at a loss for words, both women stood and looked down at their child as if they had been caught red-handed.

"Momma, where is mommy going?" Claire asked Cammy with teary eyes.

"She… uh… well, Claire…"

"It's alright Cammy," Chun-Li cooed before she took a knee in front of Claire. "My little Claire… Mommy's got to go for a few days, maybe a week. I'm sorry. There are bad people out there, and I have to stop them before they hurt good people like you."

Sniveling, Claire wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and placed her chin on her shoulder.

"I… I don't want you to go," she mumbled. "I don't want you to go away forever…"

"I won't. I'll come back for you and your momma." Managing a smile, Chun-Li rubbed the back of her child's head. "I-I promise."

The two held each other for what seemed like an eternity with Cammy looking on. Even the ex-doll cracked a smile at the sight, finding the innocence of children too pure to not appreciate. Claire sniveled again and eventually calmed down enough to look back up at her mother. If she made a promise, she was bound to keep it.

"Claire, can you make a promise for me as well?" Chun-Li asked.

"Mmhm…?"

"Could you look after momma while I'm gone? I need you to be a big girl this week." Chun-Li glanced at Cammy. "_We _need you to be strong… just until I get back. Can you do that for us?"

Claire nodded her head.

"Y-yes mommy, I'll be good, and I'll help momma."

"I can tell I'm going to be in good hands," Cammy said with a small chuckle. "Chun, if you're serious about this, we need to go to headquarters right away."

"Yeah… Let's go," Chun-Li said softly as she removed herself from her child.

After a few kisses goodbye, the two adults left together. Claire watched them leave and silently prayed for the safe return of her mother as well as the wellbeing of her other mother. While she enjoyed being the center of attention at times, she knew that if Chun-Li were to never return, it would hurt Cammy just as much as it would hurt her. Perhaps even more. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Claire turned away and tried to dwell on more optimistic thoughts.

The days passed slowly like molasses in wintertime, and with every hour that went by, the blond child thought of her mother. She asked of the strange man she had seen in the pictures, but Cammy only shook her head. It was not for her to know. Cammy did not want to trouble her with the truth just yet, but she did not want her to become too inquisitive. She wanted to protect her, and to do that, she had to censor bits of the world. The only thing Claire was told was that the man was very bad and her mother would put him in jail.

And it was true, in a way. The bad guys were always caught and left to face their crimes in prison, or so Claire was lead to believe. After a week and a half of waiting, Chun-Li returned home to her wife and daughter. She had done what she had to do, and she was absolutely relieved to be back. A celebration was in order, and it would be well-deserved. Claire was ecstatic to see her two mothers were so happy that she completely forgot about the bruises on one of them. She was also too distracted to notice the sad looks on Cammy's face when she looked at a few files. But Claire did notice one thing:

Mommy had brought home a small box. While she did not get a good enough look at it, Claire could see that the box was black and well-secured; a lockbox. When she prodded at it one day, Chun-Li chastised her for her curiosity and took the box away. It was in the household, but Claire had no idea where it was. Her mother had hidden it well, and it was eventually forgotten. No matter. Whatever was inside it probably wasn't of great importance anyway.

* * *

"Momma?"

"Hmm? Yes?"

"…I think he's a big jerk."

Cammy chuckled and rubbed her temples with her free hand.

"Yes, yes, I believe you're right."

She glanced at her daughter for a moment before shaking her head in amusement. It was late at night… well, late enough for little eight-year-old girls. With school making its presence known in Claire's life, the girl found herself thrust into a world of knowledge. At first, she was a terror in the classroom. Her curiosity usually got her in trouble, much to her parent's chagrin. The solution to this problem was not to curb her curiosity or enthusiasm, but to reroute it to something interesting. The teachers were amazing, as they managed to make learning fun enough for Claire to become entranced.

Now, the little hazel-eyed girl was staring up at Cammy from under the covers of her bed. She had demanded that since she was getting into reading, _someone_ had to give her a few extra lessons so she could understand more. But that was just a sly excuse for her parents to sit down and read to her at bedtime. Cammy smiled at her daughter and flipped to a new page of a dark blue book in her lap. Her eyes ran over the text for a moment before she spoke out.

"Despite the wry charms of the thief, he was slapped across the face. The innkeeper was spoken for, and she was not impressed in the slightest. The knight glanced over at his wisecracking friend and sniggered while the archer rolled her eyes in disgust. Stealing was the thief's business, but he could not manage to take an opportunity and work it to his liking." Cammy looked down at the accompanying picture and read the line of dialogue beneath it in a rough, accented voice. "Ah ha! Shot down like a harpy! Perhaps you should give chivalry a try!"

"At times I wonder why I keep following a muscle-bound swordsman and his sneaky sidekick," said Chun-Li from over Cammy's shoulder in the voice of the archer.

"I know why. It's because you loooove us," Cammy cheekily replied in the voice of the thief.

Claire looked at her parents and giggled. They were always so happy come noon. With a recent terrorist cell buried under rubble, the two heroes found they had quite a bit of extra time on their hands. What better way to spend it than to relax with each other and raise their daughter? She needed guidance, and with two leaders as her parents, she would be sure to never lose her way. Whatever she needed to know, they would tell her. But it was always within reason and Chun-Li's protective nature.

The Chinese woman had changed since the operation two years ago. She was a little more serious than she used to be, and that was not just because she had a daughter to raise. As naïve as it was to believe otherwise, the world was a terrible place filled with terrible characters who pounced on the weak at any ripe opportunity. Claire would not make it in this cruel world if she was raised like the other children. Knowledge would give her a good chance, but Chun-Li wanted to make sure her daughter could survive.

And for that, Claire eventually needed to learn how to defend herself.

"After resting and buying new equipment from the smithy, the three heroes went west into the arid land of Saugsoil," Cammy said after she flipped another page. "The evil mage that resided there was terrorizing the people of the land, and they needed help. The archer was skeptical of the mage's evil lair, but she-"

"Momma, what does skeptical mean?" Claire piped.

"Skeptical? Hmm…" Cammy rubbed her chin for a moment as she thought. "Doesn't that mean that you're not sure of something?"

"Sort of," Chun-Li said. "It means that you're not sure of what you've been given. You don't believe everything, but you don't disbelieve it. You're at ends with it all, basically. Do you understand, Claire?"

"I… I think so."

"Well, we both learned something today, eh Claire?" Cammy said as she lightly jostled her.

The little girl grinned and nodded.

* * *

Claire hissed and held her skinned knee as Cammy poked around it. She had reached her limit for today, as she was out of breath and in no condition to continue. In fact, with all the bruises on her body, it would have been wise for her to have stopped earlier. Learning how to fight was crucial for self-defense, and Chun-Li would not accept her daughter sitting out on something so important. The woman pounded her teachings into the girl both figuratively and literally, but because she was just starting out, Chun-Li held back as much as possible during training.

Still, the 10-year old managed to get hurt and bruised when she miscalculated a block and got kicked for her efforts. Many pained tears were shed and many sympathetic statements were fired off before Cammy intervened. She encouraged Chun-Li to turn a blind eye to their daughter's cries and whining not because they wanted to, but because they needed to toughen her up. If the two women could take jabs to the stomach and kicks to the head without submitting to the pain, so could their daughter. It was not something they enjoyed doing, but they had to do it.

Enjoyment was not one of Claire's goals when she figured out that she would be fighting. She admired the heroes that were her parents, but she wanted no part of their duty. It wasn't that she was lazy; far from it. Give the girl a task that fit her skills and she would perform it to the best of her abilities without a complaint. When it came to fighting, however, she wanted none of it. She hated to fight and despised the very idea when her mothers brought it up.

But she knew that learning to fight was as inevitable as it was valuable.

"You know Claire, back when I was a Captain I had a mission in an old Shadaloo base," Cammy said as she rubbed a touch of ointment on her daughter's knee. "Your mother was topside tending to a few prisoners while my squad and I were scouring the depths for any other personnel when suddenly the corridor we were walking down began to collapse."

Claire hissed softly in pain as Cammy put a doctored band-aid on a fresh cut.

"C-collapse?"

"Yeah, like those ancient ruins in the old adventurer movies. It was coming down right in front of me, and, since I was on point front and center, I would be crushed first before anyone else. We turned tail and ran back where we came, and luckily everyone in my squad came out fine and dandy enough. I, however, was ducking under pillars and the like and had to slide under a collapsing door before it closed me off from the rest of my squad. When the adrenaline wore off, I had the worst pain in my legs. I looked down and found that both of my knees looked as red as Hakan's face when he gets angry." Claire chuckled at the simile as Cammy continued. "I made the mistake of sliding on my knees when making my exit, and they were badly skinned up."

"Were you alright then?"

"Of course I was," Cammy replied before she glanced over her shoulder. "I had a good caretaker back then. And I still do."

Claire nodded as she understood who her mother was talking about. She looked up past her mended knee and stared out into the open area of a large and beautiful garden. In almost every direction, an explosion of color greeted her eyes. There were shades of yellow and pink as well as the luscious green that supported it all. Within the center of the area was a magnificent cherry tree surrounded by small outcroppings of mums. Already the tree was in bloom, and pink petals would occasionally drift down to the cobblestone paths below.

It was a splendid sight to see, but the main attraction was not the fauna, but the large fighting mat that was laid out near the tree. Bits of dirt and gravel were littered here and there as a testament to its use. The nature around them was calming for slow days, and Chun-Li spent the time wisely by training her daughter in meditation and fluid movements. On fast days, the sounds of the city nearby would threaten Claire's concentration, and she would have to drown them out to stand a chance against her mother's sparing strikes.

The house was technically an apartment, but every room was customized to the occupants' liking, thus giving it the sense of being a home. There was no rent to pay, nor was there mortgage to worry about. Being so close to the city had its advantages as well as its disadvantages. Groceries, work, and school could be easily accessed and friends were always in touch, but the problems of the city were always waiting at the door like a wolf in the shadows. And the garden, as well decorated as it was, was flanked on the south, east, and west by adjacent buildings, leaving the north open for someone to look out onto the streets of London below. But that wasn't as much a problem as it was a mild safety concern.

"Momma?"

Cammy smiled a little at the word and turned back. Claire was too old to refer to her parents as 'mommy' and 'momma' anymore, but she kept calling Cammy momma as if it was a unique title. It was a much better alternative to being called 'dad', even if Claire dropped the word every now and then as a little joke.

"Yes Claire?"

"Why am I doing this?"

"Doing what?" Cammy asked.

"Learning how to fight," Claire mumbled.

"Claire, your mother and I just want you to be able to defend yourself."

"But I don't want to fight! I don't want to hurt anyone…"

An eerie silence arose for a moment before Cammy cut through it.

"Well guess what? Neither does your mother," she said as she narrowed her eyes and frowned. "I don't want to fight either, but we have to. Your mother wishes we never had to fight in the first place, that we were living in a peaceful society, but life isn't like that. It's no butterflies and daisies. There are people out there who will try to hurt you, and I don't want that to happen." With a determined frown, Cammy said, "And it won't happen, will it now?"

"…No," Claire mumbled dejectedly.

"Good," Cammy replied with a curt nod. "Listen Claire, your mother and I want only the best for you because we love you. But we can't always be there for you. You need to learn how to take care of yourself."

"I-I know momma, I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

Cammy placed her hand on Claire's shoulder and edged in to give her a kiss on the forehead. Despite the training, the pain, and the sternness, Cammy loved her daughter with all her heart. She was her own flesh and blood; a gift from whatever forces were at work in the world. The British woman helped her daughter stand and ushered her inside, all the while relishing the cute grin on the scraped-up girl.

* * *

"D-did I do something wrong?"

Chun-Li exhaled slowly as she watched her daughter pace about her bedroom. She had been like this for some time now. Claire would ask questions to things she did not need the answer to, and she would usually get shot down. However, she could handle being denied a few answers when they pertained to simple or adult things. It was Cammy's past and Shadaloo's history combined that bothered the girl.

Being nosy was a good trait when it came to investigators and soldiers. If someone wanted to know about a particular piece of information, one would ask around or simply take what they wanted, sift through it, and give it back. Claire had become curious about Shadaloo when Cammy slipped up and mentioned it from time to time, and she had also begun to pry her mother for her childhood experiences. Surely the pigtailed operative would have had many memorable life experiences as a child, and Claire was anxious to soak up whatever she heard.

But her desire for knowledge was unsatisfied when Cammy repeatedly denied her.

"I just wanted to know how life was when she was my age, but she won't tell me anything…" Claire sniveled and looked over at Chun-Li. "Mom, please, I'm dying over here. I just gotta know."

"Why do you have to know?" Chun-Li asked.

Although her daughter did not know of her mother's past, Chun-Li certainly did. What childhood? She was created to be 16 years old by an evil megalomaniac! The ex-doll had no true mother or father, nor did she have anyone who loved her for the first years of her existence! Only Chun-Li and those close to Cammy knew of her past, but they did not dwell on it. The woman had put it behind her and looked to the future.

Irony dictated that her future would bring up her past.

"I… I don't know, I'm just curious," Claire squeaked. "I see that she never wants to talk about her past, and I'm con… concerned. She's my momma, can't she talk to me?"

"Claire… your mother…" Chun-Li rubbed the back of her neck. "She never had much of a childhood…"

"She didn't? Can you tell me about her?" Claire said as her expression brightened, figuring her mother could tell what Cammy would not.

"I'll say no more," Chun-Li replied as she raised her hands. "Her past is a story that only she has the right to tell. In time, I believe she'll tell you all about it. Hey… come here."

Claire wiped her nose and slowly walked over to sit next to her mother. She felt a strong arm drape around her shoulders and pull her close. It was a comfortable gesture, and Claire appreciated it. Although Chun-Li was her trainer, she was her mother first, and one of the most sympathetic of all the people she had seen. The world's strongest woman had a big, strong heart, and it bled for those who needed comfort.

"Don't worry about it, alright? She'll tell you in time, and if you think she's had enough of it, come get me and I'll sit her down with you," Chun-Li cooed. "Does that sound good?"

Nodding, Claire wrapped her arms around Chun-Li's waist. The woman smiled and embraced her daughter without hesitation. As she lingered in the hold, Chun-Li's thoughts drifted to other things she and Cammy were withholding from their daughter. There were the simple lies that everyone told their children, like Santa Claus and superstitious nonsense, but there were the more troublesome things as well. Claire did not need to know everything about Shadaloo or S.I.N. just yet, and especially not the Illuminati. Few knew what the Chinese woman had to go through when she entered that tournament…

Chun-Li looked down and lightly jostled her daughter.

"Hey, I've got an idea," she said. Claire gave her a curious look. "How about we go out to eat tonight? I don't feel like cooking, and you can bet the Major won't either when she gets home."

"Can we go to O'Keefe's?" Claire asked.

"I was thinking about pizza too, so why not!"

"What if momma wants to cook anyway?"

With a devilish smile, Chun-Li tapped her daughter's nose.

"Two to one. Majority rules!"

* * *

Nothing was more infuriating than not having something nice and clean to wear for a party. Almost everything in Claire's wardrobe was roughed up or too tacky to wear. She needed something interesting and colorful, else she risked being ostracized by her peers. School had a knack for showing people who they could befriend and who they should avoid, and since the seventh grade was just over, Claire wanted to know who to trust when she went into high school.

Claire listened to the shy voice in her left ear for a moment before switching it over to her right. A friend was on the phone, and she was timidly shooting off suggestions whist pleading for some in return. It was essentially a case of the blind leading the blind, as none of the two girls had any idea as to what they would wear. It wasn't until Claire looked at her emptied-out wardrobe did she find the problem. If there was nothing in her wardrobe that was suitable, perhaps something from her parents would do the trick.

As much as Claire loved her, Cammy hardly had any taste in clothing. She was content with the same blue and green blouses and tan skirts. Not once had she had the idea to dress up for anything unless it was incredibly important like an anniversary or a hot night in the city with her wife. There came the lightbulb above Claire's head. Chun-Li's wardrobe would be her saving grace. The Chinese woman loved to wear dresses as if she was still a child, and many admired her for wearing her beautiful blue qipao when fighting. Perhaps she had another, but in a smaller size?

The blond-haired teenager got up and dashed across the hallway to see for herself. Although her parents were not around- they mumbled something about spending some much needed quality time together before leaving with devilish grins-, they supported Claire's decision to go to a party. As long as she didn't do anything too idiotic like her favorite uncle, there would be no trouble. Chun-Li didn't say anything about her daughter having permission to take an article of clothing out from her wardrobe, but surely what she did not know would not hurt her.

Claire stepped into her parents' bedroom and made a beeline for the large wardrobe. She sifted through the top drawers and unknowingly the undergarments before she managed to stand tall enough to comprehend what she was doing. Perhaps searching lower would be a much better alternative. Blushing a little from embarrassment, Claire pulled out the lower drawers and picked out a few pretty pieces to wear. They were too small for Chun-Li to wear, but they were just right for her daughter. It was obvious that they were for Cammy, but the woman wasn't too keen on dresses.

Nudged between a few skirts and shirts was the corner of a black lockbox. It almost went unseen had it not been for Claire's picking of an eccentric skirt. She stared at the material for a moment before taking out her prize and closing the drawer. Many people placed items in their drawers, and Claire was no exception. A few pocket monster cards, a couple of magnets, and an elaborate collection of alternative rock CDs all made their niche amongst her socks and underwear. She thought it was probably nothing too interesting before she went to work on comparing dresses.

Yes, nothing strange at all…

Just a suspicious-looking black box…

Out of sight in one of her parents' drawers…

Possibly locked and filled with something interesting…

Slowly, the girl turned back to the drawer and stared for a moment. It was practically begging her to open it up and reach inside again. Claire could not ignore the temptation. After bidding her stuttering friend goodbye on the phone, she opened the drawer and pulled out the black box. So what if curiosity killed the cat? Curiosity always neglected to account for its nine lives! Claire set the box down on the floor and gave it a quick look-over.

Nothing was too glaring about the lockbox other than the fact that it was a lockbox. A steel hatch kept the top secured, and with a small lock keeping it in place, seeing the insides became a challenge. Unfortunately, Claire did not possess the same set of skills as her operative mother. She could not sneak or lockpick and she did not want to damage the box's lock to get inside. She turned the box around until she found a small silver key taped to the bottom.

Hiding objects under other objects was something Chun-Li did regularly. The key to the house was underneath the welcome mat. A few emergency pounds were placed under the kitchen's microwave. Countless candy wrappers were hidden under work papers, although Chun-Li continued to deny that they were hers. Claire carefully took the key and inserted it into the lock. She gave it a twist and watched as the top flipped oven to reveal the box's contents to her.

Claire did not know what she was expecting, but she was certain it wasn't this. Tiny bits of machinery lay about on red cloth, not mangled and destroyed but disassembled and simply forgotten. On closer inspection, it seemed that the bits of metal were part of some contraption rather than shrapnel from a multitude of mechanics. Claire glanced about for a moment as if she was certain someone was watching. No one was, but she could have sworn she felt ominous air waft into the room when she opened the box. It would have been unnerving, but the girl looked back down into the box and picked up a small piece of metal.

Whatever it was, it was surprisingly light. Small details leapt out at her, and she analyzed them all. A few notches here and there gave the impression that the device was clockwork based, but that was far from the truth. Claire picked up another piece and eventually tried to put the bits together. All thoughts of a party and her friend vanished as she worked. Obviously, the pieces would not stay together without something to cement it, but within Claire's hold, they formed something familiar.

The device was spherical and mysterious with a strange design etched into it. One half of the device was black while the other half was a dark violet color. Claire held it up for a better look and discovered that the whole thing was no bigger than a cat's eye marble. Actually, it was just about the size of a human eyeball. She blinked twice before dropping the device back into the box out of shock.

Whatever it was, it frightened the girl. It carried a terrible feeling along with it, as if it was possessed or was used by a malevolent spirit. Dismantled cybernetic eye, futuristic gemstone, or even a clockwork toy, it did not matter. Claire just wanted it out of her sight. She reset the box top and clicked the lock back into place before shoving the box back into the drawer where it came from. How her parents got a hold of something like this was to be discussed at a later time.

As she edged out of the room, she couldn't help but get the feeling that someone was watching her.


	3. Triumphs

Claire nervously drummed her fingers on the table. Her gaze was cast downwards in thought, and she drowned out all sounds of the patrons around her. A plethora of questions had plagued her mind for many months, and since she was young and still learning about the world, she noticed that many of them were being left unanswered. Why did her blonde-haired mother shy away from any and all questions regarding her past? Why did the name Bison fill her with anger and sadness? What was the story behind the odd, eye-shaped contraption that her other mother had hidden in her room?

Of those questions, only one was answered. Bison, or M. Bison as he was known, was the leader of the world's worst criminal organization. Shadaloo, as it was named, was responsible for many of the world's cruelest atrocities ranging from simple drug trafficking to near genocide. Many lives were ruined by the organization, but a few good people rose up and fought against them. Cammy, Chun-Li, and Guile were just those people, but there were others like a tall Native American chieftain and a kind-hearted pacifist who joined in as well. The evil M. Bison was eventually caught, sentenced, and put to death for his crimes.

However, that answer did not seem to be complete. Sure the devil was in the ground, but the tremors of his legacy could still be felt. In fact, some of them seemed to radiate from Cammy, but Claire was too nervous to confront her about it. It was a gut feeling and nothing more. Or was it?

"…Hey, you alright?"

Claire looked up into the hazel eyes of the teenager across from her.

"Uh, yeah I'm fine, Mel."

Mel Masters was the prodigal son of Ken and Eliza Masters, and a new acquaintance to Claire. His hair was blonde just like his mother's, and his eyes were the same shade of fiery hazel like his father's. Appearance-wise, the boy did not look too different than his father did when he was a young lad. When it came to his personality, there were some differences. Mel was much more composed and mature than his father was, and he never jumped to conclusions. That didn't mean he wasn't fun to be around, though.

"Are you sure?"

"Well…" Claire glanced about before leaning in to whisper, "Mel, do you ever get the feeling that you're being… watched?"

Being watched should not have been a problem given that the young woman and her family were in a familiar place. When they ate at one of the regular restaurants in the city, they were usually greeted with smiles and a few cheers. The only instance of being watched was when people gazed at the two enforcers in wonder for they were respected, and a few people were doing that just now as they sat and drank. However, Claire had the feeling that someone with hostile and/or mysterious intentions was watching her every move. It wasn't until she stumbled across that strange cybernetic contraption did she have that feeling.

The young Masters stared for a moment before furrowing his brow. He turned around and glared at his father, who was watching him like a hawk from a table just nearby. The man flashed a toothy grin and a thumbs-up before being jabbed in the stomach by his wife, who was sitting beside him. He grumbled and returned his attention to the two women sitting across from him, who were undoubtedly Claire's mothers.

"All… the… time," Mel muttered as he turned back to Claire.

"No, I don't mean by someone that you know. I mean… people you don't know. I have this feeling that someone- or something- is watching me. Maybe it's just one person or maybe it's a whole gaggle of them, but it makes me uneasy."

"Darn, well, it doesn't help much that we're the kids of two very different and very influential families," Mel said before he sipped at the remains of his beverage.

"Tell me about it. I love my parents, I do, and I'm proud to be a White, but I don't want to follow in their footsteps." Claire shook her head. "I'll learn whatever they have to teach, but I don't want to get into fighting. It's just that I get the feeling people expect me to fight just because they did."

"Same here, although I kinda like the idea of fighting," Mel said. "I guess under the skin, me and my father have a lot more in common than we'd thought."

"It's that fiery Masters' blood, I know," Claire replied with a smile. It vanished soon after Mel chuckled. "While I do mean that we're expected to fight, and that we are going to be watched because of who our parents are, I just get this feeling that someone out there is expecting too much of me. Maybe a stalker, but I'm not sure."

Mel scratched his head before glancing over his shoulder again.

"Have you talked to your parents about this?"

"I should, and I want to, but…"

"…but?"

It would have been a luxury to give Mel the truth, but with things the way they were, Claire found herself torn. She couldn't tell the boy about the strange machine she found in her parents' bedroom, especially since she had just met him today. She had heard about him from her parents, and he seemed trustworthy enough, but how he would react to such a tale was a question Claire did not want answered. She did not want to shut him out, though, as he seemed like a good person who could hold his own in a scuffle. He could be her shoulder in rough times, but the White's inborn sense of pride pushed him away.

"I think I'm more like my momma than I realize," Claire said as she glanced at Cammy, who was sitting with the others. "If I have a problem, I'm going to solve it on my own."

"Yeah, alright, I can understand and respect that," Mel said, "but don't think you have to do it without help. If someone really is after you, tell your parents, call the cops, or call me."

"Call you?" Claire repeated, blinking twice.

"Mhmm. My family and I are going to be in England for a month or two." Blushing a little from embarrassment, Mel rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, you can call me if you feel threatened or something and I'll come over. That's only if you want me to. I can always get my dad to help out instead of me if you'd like. He can usually-"

Claire beamed and placed a hand over Mel's. The young Masters stopped rambling, tensed up, and stared at the girl in front of him as if she had caught him off guard. And she did, for such a reaction was unexpected.

"That's so sweet of you!" Claire squealed.

"Bwhaa?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine on my own, but if I need you, I can just call you! What a good idea!" Claire reached into a small purse in the seat next to her and pulled out a small pen and paper. "I don't have a cellphone myself, so let me just give you our house number."

After scribbling down her number, Claire pushed the paper over to Mel. He wrote down his number and tore off his section to give to Claire without a second thought. While he was nervous about his new acquaintance's situation, he was not about to deny help anytime soon. Exchanging phone numbers was just one way he could help, but he was a little oblivious to the fact that that was the first instance that something special was starting between him and the girl. Of course, he had just met the young woman, but he had enjoyed speaking to her and being around her for barely an hour, and he found himself eagerly awaiting another conversation.

He wondered if his father ever had this feeling with any other woman, or maybe even his mother.

"Well that was some pretty good food," Chun-Li said as she walked past the table the two teenagers were at. She stopped and fixed her daughter with a coy look. "Well, well! I guess you two hit it off well enough if you're exchanging numbers!"

"What was that?!"

Mel winced at the shock in his father's voice and almost fainted from embarrassment when he came running over.

"You got her number?" he asked with a grin.

"…Y-yeah," Mel replied.

Ken pumped his fist.

"Score!"

Now it was Claire's turn to be embarrassed, but Eliza Masters came over and swiftly grabbed Ken by the ear, saving her from any further pressing questions.

"Ow! Hey! What did I do this time?" he hissed.

"Kenneth, you're a hair trigger sometimes," Eliza muttered as she shook her head. "At the drop of the hat you can be a shrewd businessman, but every time I look over my shoulder I see you're still that cocky little kid."

"That cocky little kid that you fall head over heels for every time," Ken corrected with a smile before Eliza practically threw him out of the restaurant.

"Well, I think I've had just about enough crazy for one evening," Cammy said with a small chuckle as she watched the two adults scurry out.

* * *

"I heard from Ronald today," Cammy said as she flipped through a few bills on her desk. "The doctors are optimistic about Maria now that she got that new kidney. They're positive her body will accept it."

"I sure hope so. I hate hearing about her kidneys and her having to go through dialysis, so I'm glad there's some silver lining," Chun-Li replied from the nearby bathroom. "God, it must be terrible for Ron to drive all those miles just to see her lying in that hospital bed. How is she now, Cammy?"

"She's herself again."

Chun-Li laughed. Ronald Bateson was a sergeant in Delta Red who had recently been promoted to 2nd lieutenant. He was a very calm and logical man with a firm attachment to the men under him, and given his recent record of leadership under tough situations, the officer commission fit him perfectly. Maria was a short and stout woman who just so happened to be his wife. She experienced kidney troubles just a few years ago. Being in close proximity, the new lieutenant used his free time to see to her in the hospital.

She was a spitfire who took no guff from anybody, especially doctors.

"Heh, I'd imagine Claire would like to go visit her favorite teacher one of these days when she gets the chance."

Cammy slowly nodded despite her wife being unable to see. Would Claire really do that? She was a good kid, but she seemed more interested in herself and her studies than those in a hospital bed. As the blond-haired woman thought about it, she slowly came to the realization that she had absolutely no idea what made her daughter who she was. She did not believe the media or popular culture had much of an impact on the girl outside of books and peer pressure. She did not expect the girl to look up at her or her mother as heroes. The only true heroes are the ones who gave their all for a just cause, and that meant making the ultimate sacrifice.

Slowly, the thought of not knowing her daughter began to creep into Cammy's mind. She had to know what she would do, as she was her own flesh and blood! However, the girl had steadily began to spend less and less time with her 'father' and more time with herself, or with Chun-Li for training. All children began to distance themselves from their parents and engage in rebellious behavior at some time in their lives. For Cammy, she was already distant. There was hardly any time to spend with the girl when work, bills, papers, and management were thrown into the fray.

Suddenly, she felt someone punch her shoulder.

"Hey! You alright?"

Cammy turned around and looked up into Chun-Li's hazel eyes.

"W-what?"

"You seemed like you were zoning out here. Got something on your mind?"

"Ugh…" Cammy sighed as she rubbed her temples. "You know me all too well. I've just been thinking a little about Claire and where I, uh, stand."

"What's there to think about? You're her mother," Chun-Li stated matter-of-factly.

"I know that, I do, but I can't help but think she takes after you more than me. Maybe she doesn't get anything from me, maybe I'm just not there. And I'm not there as much as I should be," Cammy said quickly as she stared at her desk. "Am I an empty uniform? I'm always there for the men, why can't I be there for our daughter?"

Chun-Li looked at Cammy and rubbed her shoulder. She knew how taxing her job at Delta Red was, but the blonde seemed to be making a mountain out of an anthill. Didn't she remember attending the parent-teacher conference to make sure Claire would be looked after? Didn't she realize that the girl always came to her first for help? Didn't she understand that without her in her life, Claire would be destined to follow in Chun-Li's vengeful footsteps?

"You are there. You always are," Chun-Li replied with a small smile. "Maybe not physically, but spiritually, or something like that. She loves you. She respects you. Sometimes she doesn't show it, but it's still there." As she moved over to her wife's other side, she winked. "If I might, I'd say she takes after you more than she does after me."

"How do you know that?" Cammy said with a pout, still unsure.

"I can see it in her. She may have my eyes, but she has your drive and determination. She has a lot of courage for such a small girl. She's a trooper like her mother." Chun-Li slowly wrapped her arms around her wife and rested her head on her shoulder. "She's also insufferably stubborn, just like her mother. No use in trying to make her quit doing what she does; she'll just keep doing it until she gets it right."

"I'm not stubborn," Cammy muttered.

"Sure you aren't."

It didn't take long before a smile crept along the Englishwoman's face. Chun-Li knew her wife like the back of her hand. When they had first met, she had gauged the woman to a point. After marriage, that point was sharpened to near perfection. Flattery and affection made the woman blush, sarcasm made her pout, and most types of humor made her giggle. If something had her down, Chun-Li's presence was the obvious cure. It just had to be administered regularly and in a variety of doses.

While Cammy wanted to return to her bills, the feeling of Chun-Li's head on her shoulders felt nice and rejuvenating. It wasn't until she felt lips on her neck did the woman realize that she would not be able to return to work so easily. A soft whine of protest escaped her lips when she felt them, but she did nothing to stop it. Chun-Li tightened her hold on her wife as she trailed down her neck, all knowing that she was a little reluctant. She needed a distraction, and a lovely one she would get.

"Chun… please, I need to-"

"Bills can wait," Chun-Li purred before she nipped at Cammy's neck. "Why don't we relax a little bit? You've been working very, very hard recently…"

"…Well, I am tired," Cammy whispered as she turned her head to look at her wife.

"Let's go to bed."

There was a mischievous glint in the Chinese woman's eye when she said that. Such beautiful hazel eyes, what luscious lips, what a warm, caring, and amorous embrace. Cammy found herself drifting away from whatever thoughts she had about working and replaced them with her wife. She could feel the breath against her cheeks and tilted her head up and into Chun-Li's to engulf her lips with her own. Perhaps… perhaps it was a good idea to relax, just as long as she was there with her…

* * *

A few bumblebees zipped about through the weeds in the White's rooftop garden on their way to perform their duties. One insect brushed past a myriad of pansies. Another zoomed under a group of tulips. The biggest bee of the bunch spazzed about near a lone perennial basket before landing on a band of chrysthanthemums, where it bumbled about before finding the pollen it was looking for. A soft rustle of activity roused it to fly up for a moment before landing back down to continue its work.

Claire smiled as she looked at the little black and yellow insect. She gave it a respectable berth and refocused her attention on the mums in front of her, or more specifically, the weeds growing in and around them. With one mother busy with whipping new recruits into shape and another busy with Interpol work, the young woman found herself alone more often than usual. She did not go out that much, and when she did, she took safe routes and usually traveled with a good friend. Her parents could trust her without a second thought.

Being alone would have pushed an already anxious woman over the edge, but her paranoia had gradually faded over time. The thought of being watched did not trouble her anymore now that she had a few things to distract her. Maintaining the large rooftop garden was just one such distraction. She had her friends and her hobbies to busy her, and she had a few odd jobs that could always be done. For now, everything seemed well enough for Claire White. Whoever was watching her before was no longer doing so anymore.

Instead, they were now acting upon a blissfully unaware young woman.

"Now, if only I had a few geraniums or impatients… maybe- Oh!" Claire wagged her finger as she looked at the chrysthanthemums. "Maybe a few other colors of mums! Red… blue…"

"I like purple."

Claire's breath hitched. She had distinctly heard someone say that from behind her, but the feminine voice was completely unfamiliar to her. There was a touch of venom in there, layered with seductiveness and a pinch of humor unheard of by the likes of the young White. She tensed up and waited for the voice again. Her heart began to beat at a faster tempo than usual, and with every pump came an audible thump.

"Something wrong, little girl?" the unknown individual cooed. "I don't see how that could be. Everything should be perfect for you. Your parents are two very influential people who love you very much. You've got a place to call home. You know how to fight, but yet, you don't want to… Interesting…"

In a sudden move, Claire stood up and whirled around to face the individual with her hands raised in defense. Whoever was there wasn't there anymore. She could hear a small bout of laughter from behind her, but when she looked, still the individual was not there.

"So young, so pure, so naïve… Ugh, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. How old are you, kid? Thirteen? Fourteen?" There was silence for a moment before the individual giggled. "Fifteen?! Oh my god, really? What a coincidence!"

"W-who are you?"

"Who am I?" the individual replied. "I'm the finger down your spine when the lights are out. I'm the monster story all mothers tell their children. I'm the shadow that looms over tantalizing prey like you…" Claire swore she could feel her heart stop beating when she heard the person whisper over her shoulder. "I'm your playmate…"

This time, the individual did not vanish when Claire whipped around. Standing in front of her was a woman dressed in a black hooded cloak with purple trim. The woman seemed lithe at first, but there were a few curves and obvious sightings of muscle within her figure. Confidence and cruelty seemed to radiate from her, as well as other strong values. There was no doubt that whoever this was, she was a strong woman with a goal in mind. And whatever that goal was, it involved Claire in some way, shape, or form.

The blond-haired girl took a cautionary step back when she saw the woman reach up to pull her hood back. Raven-colored hair framed the woman's pale face equally with a large ponytail trailing down the back of her head like a knight's plume. A coy and almost feral grin stretched across her face and hung there proudly. One of the woman's tiny eyebrows was arched in amusement. But the most chilling feature was her right eye. A bright violet color, the eye seemed to glow with a familiar energy; ki. It reminded the young girl tremendously of grandma Rose. The left eye, however, was covered with a dull grey eyepatch that had seen better days.

Perhaps the woman only had one eye.

"Who are you?" Claire asked again. "W-what's your name and w-what do you want from me?"

"I told you, I'm your playmate," the woman spat as her brow furrowed. She took a few steps to the right as she began to circle Claire. "What I want is rather simple, you see. At first I wanted to pay two old friends a friendly visit, but then I discovered something completely unexpected: you."

"M-me?"

"Yes, you. I had no idea that your mothers actually conceived a brat together just to kick it out into the world without even telling it the truth." The woman sneered and pointed at her target. "Just how many lies have they told you? Do you even know?"

"Are you trying to drive me against my parents?!" With a half-hearted frown, Claire tried to disguise the fear in her voice. "You have no right to be here. You n-need to leave."

"What's gonna happen if I don't leave?" the raven-haired woman said as she slowly advanced. "Whatcha gonna do, huh? Cry? Scream? Fight me? I dare you to call for help. Go on, squeal for it!"

A leg flashed into Claire's vision for a split second before it found itself embedded in her stomach. She doubled over and fell to the ground in a heap. Out of breath and in pain from the sudden strike, she held her stomach and hissed in agony. She could feel her attacker's shadow looming over her and felt a few tears of fright run down her cheeks.

"I came here because I thought I could find someone interesting… someone worthy of my precious time. Who else but the daughter of a blind-eyed officer and her little doll?"

The woman squatted down and prodded at Claire's head until she received eye contact.

"I bet you don't know that that means, do you?" The winded girl slowly shook her head. "Pathetic. You're so ignorant you're actually making me feel sorry for you. I'll give you something to think about. Do you have any grandparents?"

Loose lips sink ships, or in this case, they could very well bring about the death of a loved one. Accepting responsibility for someone's death was not something Claire wanted to experience, but at the same time, the desire to live took hold. She wanted to make it away from this woman alive and somewhat unharmed. She could imagine the bruise on her stomach as well as many others on other parts of her body for a moment. Still, the threat of losing someone near and dear to her heart was anything but trivial, and by giving a name, she may as well be signing their death warrant.

However, the vile woman seemed to know her mothers. If that was true, she would also know who was affiliated with them; who their friends are and who their family are. No-one that Claire knew had died recently except for Chun-Li's mother, but that was four years ago. If this woman really was out for blood, she was either ascertaining that there was prey available or she was toying with someone she was about to kill. In the woman's defense, Claire believed that she knew who her other grandmother was and thought nothing of the gypsy.

The woman reached down and grabbed onto the back of Claire's neck. She didn't even lift the girl an inch before she received her answer.

"One! I have one grandparent!" the girl shouted.

"Yes, yes, the gypsy," the woman muttered as she loosened her grip. "But what of your grandfather? What happened to him, hmm?"

"He… Bison killed him. Both of them…"

"Wrong on both accounts!" The woman lifted her foot and pressed it into Claire's back with painful force. "Well, maybe not wrong on one part. Bison did kill Chun-Li's father, but indirectly. Someone had to do the dirty deed. Someone had to have the blood on their hands."

Claire did not like where this was going. Her stomach dropped when the woman whispered into her ear.

"Check your momma's hands and you'll find a year's worth of blood. Check her history and you'll find nothing. Ask her father and you'll…" The woman smirked and shook her head. "Oh, silly me, I forgot. Dead men tell no tales."

"Y-you killed him?" Claire squeaked, not too certain if she was correct in her assumption.

"Oh yes, and honey, I enjoyed every second of it." Licking her lips, the cloaked woman leaned back. "The blood flowed from his body like red wine… Coincidentally, the same blood flows through your momma's veins. And that means…" She pointed at Claire and narrowed her eye. "…the same bad blood is in you as well, just waiting to be awakened!"

The sheer weight of the woman's words came crashing down on Claire like a wave of ice-cold water. She, a fifteen-year old nobody from two somebodies was related to the evil M. Bison? Was the blood of endless evil potential running rampant through her veins? Worse yet, Cammy was related to M. Bison as his daughter? And just what did the woman find so funny about the word 'doll'? Did it mean something terrible?

This woman seemed like the one who could answer every question Claire had been denied, but she seemed to be more interested in tormenting the girl than answering questions.

"What do you want from me? Please, I'll… I'll get you whatever it is; just don't hurt me or my parents!" Claire cried.

"I want a fight!" the woman roared. "Get up! Are you as pure and innocent as they say, or are you a naughty girl in need of a good spanking?"

She removed her foot from the girl's back and watched as she scrambled to her feet.

"I don't want to fight you!" Claire pleaded.

"But you won't call for help. Why is that?" The woman scowled and lowered herself into a crouch. "Oh, I know. Aren't you so proud, so cock-sure, so courageous… Let me beat some humility into you!"

Immediately the odd woman dashed forward and aimed a kick straight into Claire's ribs. Instead of standing still and taking the hit, the girl dodged to the side and tried to get into the stance her mother taught her. Hands up, shoulders down, angled form, legs at the ready, eyes open, mouth shut. It should have come naturally to her after doing the same routine for years, but now she was being attacked. Many operations became impossible to perform while under fire, and Claire was experiencing it firsthand.

She knew there was power in the older woman's kicks. To protect herself, she chose not to block the strikes and instead focused on dodging them. With her short stature and lithe form combined with her agility, she was able to avoid every single one of the woman's attacks. She counted herself lucky that she was young enough to be so spry. What she did not know was that the woman was purposefully slowing down her attacks so they would always miss.

The whole time, Claire remained somewhat focused on the fight on her hands. She was terrified and unprepared, but she used that to build herself up as a combatant. There was no time to complain about it. Her attacks missed her target every time, and she always caught a flash of the woman's toothy grin when she reeled back to counter. The woman was enjoying the fight. She enjoyed her tormenting. And she especially enjoyed her victory.

Claire's stamina waned after a minute of the fight. She tried to dodge another kick, but her shins were stuck hard. The woman let loose a loud cackle of delight and cracked her knuckles before moving in closer. With a weakened opponent, she was able to seal the deal. She lashed out with a punch to Claire's midsection and relished in the grunt of pain she enticed. Another punch came after that, then another, then another. The woman punched like a panther with no signs of stopping.

It wasn't until the ninth strike did the woman stop her assault. She pulled back and watched as the girl fell to the cement on her back with only a pained whimper to confirm her defeat. If Claire was lucky, a shirt and some padding would easily hide the bruises before they surfaced, but that was only if she got out of the situation alive. She coughed and sniveled before trying to stand again. The woman, however, pressed into her stomach and pinned her down to the ground.

"I thought I would find something interesting in you," she grumbled. "Turns out you're nothing but a scared little girl… Do you have any dreams, little girl?" No answer. "Oh, I bet you do. Allow me to destroy them one by one."

The raven-haired woman with the one violet eye pulled her right arm back and clenched her fist. Claire could see through the tears in her eyes what the woman was doing. A death blow. Dissatisfied with her opponent, the woman wanted to kill her. Tiny purple sparks flickered about her right fist with malicious intent. Claire tried to lift her arms to shield her face, but her body was too tired. She tried to speak, but her mouth was dry. She clenched her eyes shut and waited for the blow.

However, the blow did not come. Perhaps it did and Claire was transported to a darkened, hellish world. Perhaps the pain from the blow was too great to register. Perhaps she had lost her mind from fear and paranoia and lost all of her senses. She opened her eyes and glanced about. She was still at home in the rooftop garden, and she was still very much alive. Bruised, battered, and beaten, but alive. But what of her attacker?

Looming over the young girl was the cloaked woman, still in the same pose just a moment ago. Her right arm hung in the breeze and her hand was still curled into an imposing fist, but there was no movement. She stared at Claire through an expressionless mask, clearly looking at the poor girl but not seeing her. It was a thousand-yard stare. In it Claire could see the one violet eye swell just slightly with some emotion that she had not witnessed before from the woman.

Claire sniveled and brought the woman's attention back to her.

"…You're not worth my time," she muttered before she dropped her fist and turned away.

For some reason, the way the woman said that seemed like an insult. For years, the young girl had searched for answers to tough questions that people shied away from. The past had the right to remain buried, but she wanted to dig whatever she could up from the dust for curiosity's sake, as well as to gauge where her path would take her in the future. This woman -despite having the personality of a snake, the ferocity of a panther, and the venom of a spider- had answers to such questions. Not only that, she wanted to improve herself physically.

The woman had proved a point that the world would not wait for Claire to toughen up by herself.

"Then m-make me w-worth your time," she stammered as she clutched her chest.

The woman turned around and glared at her defeated opponent.

"You want me to train you? What makes you think I want to take you?"

"I… I don't know…" Claire wheezed and tried to stand, but her muscles disobeyed her order and left her crumpled on the ground. "P-please, I have so many questions... So many things have been left unanswered, and you-"

"You want to know things, huh?" The woman remained silent for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Alright, what the hell. I guess I can teach you how to fight like a real woman, but if you squeal or talk about our meeting here, I will make you wish I killed you here today," she hissed. "As for your questions, well, let's say that knowledge has its price."

Claire watched as the woman approached her. She cringed back when she was offered a hand. It surprised her that there was such a complete switch-around in the woman's behavior. At first, she seemed like she wanted to kill her. Now, she had a different goal in mind, and it wasn't murder. Claire looked at the purple fingernails on the hand before tentatively grabbing hold of it. If it took fighting with a nameless 'psychopath' to get what she wanted, so be it. No price was too great.

"…N-name it," she muttered as she was lifted up.

The woman grinned wickedly in response.

* * *

"You… You lied to me!"

Cammy winced at the shock and hurt in her daughter's voice. It didn't take too long before the girl branched out and delved into things she had no business in or rebelled against her parents, but they never imagined that she would confront them about the past. They had been careful not to concern the poor girl with any information that would be too hard to swallow. Lying to her was hard to do, but it was a necessary evil. Or so they thought.

"C-Claire, I-"

"Is everything I've been told a lie? Am I some kind of monster?!" Claire checked her hands for a moment before clenching them into fists. "Are these hands or weapons?"

"You are not a monster, you are a woman," Chun-Li said calmly, although her voice was cracking. "So is your mother. Not everything we have told you is a lie. There are-"

"Not everything? Then what is?" Claire interjected with a jab of her finger. "Why did you even think you could lie to me?"

"We wanted to protect you…"

"Protect me? Well, that's all fine and dandy, but in trying to protect me from the wolves, you've turned me into a sheep!"

Everything that had been revealed with missing or doctored information had come back to haunt the family. The girl was supposed to know in time, but it would be disclosed slowly and softly instead of all at once. She was angry, infuriated at her parents for withholding information about Shadaloo, S.I.N., the Illuminati, M. Bison, and damnable of all, each other. Family had lied to their own flesh and blood, and for what? To not burden the child with 'unnecessary' information? To protect her? Knowledge was power, not a death warrant!

The hazel-eyed girl scowled and folded her arms as she stared at Chun-Li.

"Tell me everything."

"Can you handle the truth?" Cammy asked.

"I'm your daughter. That should be proof enough," Claire replied with a touch of pride.

Cammy sighed and looked to Chun-Li for support. The Chinese woman looked away for a brief moment before nodding her head. If their daughter desired the truth, then so be it. Far be it from them to deny her knowledge now.

"Take a seat, Claire," Chun-Li said as she followed her own advice.

"Just… just how did you find out about all of this in the first place?" Cammy asked as her daughter sat on one of the living room's chairs.

"Does it matter? I know now, and that's what counts," the daughter mumbled.

"I see… I'll start out from the beginning." Cammy leaned forward and clasped her hands together, deep in thought. "I imagine you know quite a bit about Shadaloo. When people say they weren't as bad as they were… they were right." Claire was about to interject when Cammy looked up. "They were worse than that. From the start, they established themselves as an organization out for themselves. They preyed on hope and crushed it beneath their heels like an insect. Nothing less than common raiders in a civilized world, they extorted, bribed, destroyed, and murdered to get what they wanted. They also created weapons to get an upper hand."

"The leader of the organization was M. Bison, a man who had augmented himself to become nothing but pure evil," Chun-Li muttered. "Everything that was good was disposed of, all in the name of gaining power. He eventually created an elite force of assassins that wer-"

A hand over Chun-Li's own stopped her right in her tracks. She glanced at Cammy and looked into those blue eyes for a moment before nodding. The story was hers to tell.

"Bison created an elite force of assassins called the Shadaloo dolls. There were twelve of them… teenage girls who were ripped from their families to become mindless, robotic puppets who served Bison and his lapdogs."

"You were one of them, weren't you?" Claire asked.

Cammy slowly shook her head.

"In a way, yes, but I was different. I did not come from a family. I was not born. I was created." With a frown, she continued. "Bison created me as a replacement body, an empty vessel whose only purpose was to be used. And he did use me… to do the hardest jobs of all. He made me kill Chun-Li's father, but that wasn't me. He was no father of mine, but I have to live with knowing that I am a perfect copy of him."

"Only prettier," Chun-Li cut in with a weak smile.

"Y-yes, I suppose," Cammy replied with a tired chuckle. "I had no past, no present, no future. When Dhalsim… or was it Rose?" Cammy shook her head again. "I do not know, but one of those two took me and opened my eyes. I could finally see, and I used my new self-awareness to defy Bison and everything he created. He died, I lost my memories, he came back, and I was ready. Delta Red had taken me in when I found myself stumbling around London, and I began to fight for what was right." With a small smile, Cammy glanced at Chun-Li. "Fighting against Bison again and again was not without its benefits. I met Chun-Li, and after her I met Guile as well as many other friends and supporters."

As quickly as it had appeared, the smile vanished from Cammy's face.

"As I was gathering support, so was Shadaloo. Five years after I broke free from Bison's enslavement, his new weapons division rose from the smoldering ashes of Shadaloo to make itself known to the world. And it was worse than you can possibly imagine." Cammy's watery eyes glistened in the dim light of the room. "They kidnapped fighters to pursue power, they brainwashed or blackmailed people to do their bidding, and they ripped my sisters away from me…"

"You have sisters?" Claire asked softly.

"…I had sisters. We weren't related by blood, but by scars. They were the twelve dolls of Shadaloo. S.I.N. took them and used them for their experiments, leaving only one untouched and alive: Juni…"

Claire's eyes widened at the revelation. Telling all about the pain in her past likely wasn't easy for Cammy, yet she was doing it anyway. The Englishwoman looked away and held her face as her shoulders slowly began to heave. It was all for her daughter; a fact Claire slowly began to regret if it caused her mother this much grief. No-one wanted to be reminded that they had no past, that they were nothing more than a spare body to be used. And more still, that all those who were related to her were killed. But yet, there was one shred of hope, and that was in this Juni woman, who was still alive.

"…I'm… I'm so sorry, mom," Claire whispered sympathetically.

Chun-Li gave her wife a gentle, reassuring squeeze before turning over to Claire again.

"The leader of the Shadaloo Intimidation Network, or S.I.N. for short, was an abomination by the name of Seth. He terrorized the entire world for a good year before Shadaloo came in and fought S.I.N. in a short war, leaving nothing but scraps behind. Seth was killed in the scuffle, but his… confidante," Chun-Li muttered with contempt, "escaped. Your mother and I fought against her constantly, but she always defeated us. When both organizations crumbled, she simply vanished."

Claire leaned forward just slightly and raised her eyebrows. She could not afford to look too interested.

"What was her name?"

"Her name was Juri Han," Chun-Li muttered as Cammy slowly came around again. "Born in South Korea, she was a terrible woman who felt no sympathy, compassion, or remorse, and hardly ever decided to be merciful. She was the one who killed Bison for good, but it was only a part of her terrible plans."

"I see…"

"After all of that turmoil, there was peace. We decided to settle down and take advantage of that by bringing you into our lives." Chun-Li smiled solemnly. "We thought that everything was over, that we could get on with our lives in peace and quiet. How we wished we could do that, but there was always evil lurking about in the shadows, licking its wounds before striking again. And it was the third strike that cut the deepest for me. You were six at the time when the Illuminati started to cause trouble; do you remember me leaving at all?"

Nodding slowly, Claire replied,

"I think… I think I also remember seeing a picture of a man with half of his body painted red and the other half painted blue."

"You have a good memory," Cammy cooed as she rubbed her eyes.

"That man was Gill, the leader of the Illuminati. He and his brother Urien sought to take over and rule the world, and while Gill supposedly was going to try to be a benevolent leader, the Illuminati's methods of getting to that point were the same as Shadaloo's and S.I.N.'s. I left to stop them with the help of Ryu and Ken and together we managed to get to the bottom of it all. We arrived at a temple of sorts high up in the mountains… It was very secluded, very… disconnected from the troubles of the world." Chun-Li chuckled softly. "It's ironic when you think that if we failed there, that place would have caused all sorts of trouble."

All of this information needed time to properly process, but Claire managed to understand the gist of everything. She was saddened to know that her parents had to go through so much to keep her and the world safe from 'evildoers'. If the world was like her parents wanted it to be, none of this strife would have transpired. Claire would've never had to deal with Shadaloo or its remnants, nor would she have had a mother with no past. But on the other side, she would never have had an aunt out there somewhere, met the Masters, or learned how to protect herself if the world was as it was imagined by her parents.

Nor would she have met that strange woman.

"I made a stupid mistake by not bringing Interpol backup," Chun-Li grumbled. "Fighting Gill after he killed his brother seemed like a piece of cake when you think that he would be exhausted, but the man was almost like a god, just as he proclaimed himself to be. Ryu and Ken, despite their endless strength and potential, could not match up to him, even when they fought like brothers. I was totally helpless; I felt like I was going to die right then and there."

There was a long silence as Chun-Li searched for what to say next. Claire knew that her mother was known world-wide as the strongest woman in the world, and she could only nod her head in understanding. She had been knocked down a peg too far and had been left lying at death's door in front of a man who was anything but benevolent when fighting. How she managed to escape and live to this very day was a question Claire wanted answered immediately. It was like the climactic ending to a wonderful book.

"On that fateful day, she came back," Chun-Li said. "Six years of inactivity and she appears almost literally out of thin air. She completely ignored me and the boys and focused solely on Gill. Juri fought like a woman possessed. We've both fought her and irritated her before, but I could sense an anger like no other in her eyes." Scratching her head, Chun-Li looked at Cammy for a brief moment before turning back to Claire. "To this day, I never did find out what she was doing there. There was something… different about her, but I couldn't figure out what. Whatever secrets she had left to tell went down with her…"

"She… she died?" Claire asked, her eyes wide.

Chun-Li nodded.

"She fought Gill with all of her power, but still it wasn't enough to defeat him. I saw her get up, blood and all trailing down the left side of her face, before she attacked him again. Juri was always unpredictable, but I never imagined that she would do what she did." Cammy gave a sad nod while Claire raised her eyebrows. "She pounced Gill through the fire and ice and pushed him over the side of the temple courtyard, where both of them plummeted. When the dust settled, I went to the last spot I saw the two. I could see Gill impaled on the rocks below, his defeated body mangled and bloodied."

Wincing, Claire shook her head.

"And J-Juri?"

"…No one could survive a fall like that. We never did find her body, and in hindsight, I think we were better off that way. All we found were bits and pieces of her clothing, a few strands of hair, and an unhealthy amount of her blood on the rocks. Juri was a terrible, terrible woman, but she was still human." Chun-Li bowed her head and sighed. "No matter what her goal was, she did us a service by killing Gill. I will always remember her for that."

Cammy perked up and decided to return her wife's squeeze.

"As fearless in death as she was in life," she muttered.

Of all the people who had had an impact on the lives of these two women, Claire decided the Korean had the biggest effect. Bison brought the two women together by trying to destroy their lives. Seth tested them with terror. Gill showed them what fear could accomplish and destroy. But Juri kept the two women together and gave them someone to fight against. She allowed them to support each other, to be there for each other. However, Claire had a feeling that her parents were leaving out something important about her, but Claire chose to let it go.

"Why lie? Why try to hide your past from me and yourself?" Claire asked the Englishwoman.

"I never hid it; I just put it behind me," Cammy replied with downcast eyes. "I wanted you to live like everyone else; free from Shadaloo and all of its evil. I wanted you to live the life I could not. I wanted to give you the childhood I never had. We wanted… to give you the chances we were denied." She looked back up at Claire and pouted a little. "These are things that no child should know, not until they can understand. We lied because we love you. Claire, we're crazy about you. No matter what you do or where you go, we will always love you."

"And that's a promise," Chun-Li said with a small smirk.

Claire stared at the two for a minute before she smiled. There were many things that were still left unanswered, but now a window was opened before her. She could be told everything that she desired, and she would understand it or die trying. Perhaps being lied to for sixteen years was unforgivable, or perhaps it was. A parent is the one who makes the most sacrifices in their life, and they are the ones who suffer the most. They give their sons and daughters up in hopes they may lead a better life with the knowledge of the past to guide them, and Claire couldn't help but love her parents more for finally buckling down and confiding in her.

She stood up, approached her parents, and promptly embraced them.

* * *

"Alright, that's enough for the day. Pick yourself up, girl."

The body was a wonderful thing. It could survive through the toughest of conditions without breaking, and when there was the threat of death or stress, it pushed itself harder than ever before. Aches, bruises, welts, and injuries were nothing but cosmetic changes. Pain was an abstract concept. Such an intellectual approach was lost on Claire, who could not ignore the stinging sensation in her arms and legs. Still, she pushed herself up from the concrete and shouldered her discomfort.

For years she had trained under her mothers. Everything they had taught her, she had soaked up like a sponge. Stances, blocks, pokes, and general self-defense. They taught her how to hold her own. When it came to the strange sadistic woman, she taught Claire how to survive. Three years were spent under her wing, and while they were not without their troubles, Claire learned more than she would ever need to put into practice.

'Spider', as Claire called her on account of the design on her back, trained the girl in everything needed to defend oneself as well as offense tactics. Constantly being on the defensive was asking for failure, and if the girl wanted any chance at surviving, she would need to take the initiative. Spider came up with many different ideas and problems to put into use. One of them involved leading Claire through the back alleys of London. The raven-haired woman found a band of common thugs, rudely and boldly introduced herself, and promptly defeated them all in demonstration of 'ideal hand-to-hand combat'.

Claire watched in awe as the woman danced about the thugs with a playful air about her. She had glanced at a few different fighting styles when her mother first introduced fighting to her. The constant kicks and twists were reminiscent of the Taekwando fighting style, yet the woman's use of her elbows and knees in combat completely baffled Claire, who could not find a style that fit it. When asked about her choice of fighting style, Spider remarked that she had wanted a style that allowed her to use everything she had. She even offered advice that reflected her choice to Claire.

"Use everything that you have to get the upper hand. Guile, charm, trickery, threats, intimidation, whatever gets the job done," she said.

Keeping Spider a secret from her parents was hard to do. On one hand, the woman had an appearance that screamed 'villain', but on the other hand, she was very knowledgeable. Spider's threat helped Claire as well. Training was very hard, but it was very rewarding. Claire did not care as much for the fighting aspect of it all, but she understood what was necessary and what wasn't. The life lessons were invaluable to her. The lectures were attention-grabbing. But the most important and most treasured part of training was the end of it.

Once a week, depending on Spider's mood, she would sit down with Claire and allow her to ask her one question and one question only. The woman did not give full answers to certain questions regarding Shadaloo or the girl's parents, however, as she figured they would do that job for her. Everything else was answered truthfully and sincerely. Claire was grateful for the knowledge. She gathered as much as she could before she finally confronted her parents but two years ago. As for the woman, she extracted her payment for the knowledge in advance, and it was always the same thing.

"How old are you now, kid?"

Claire looked up at Spider and noticed she was staring out at the city of London below.

"Eighteen," she replied.

"Mhmm… I could tell. You've filled out quite nicely," Spider said with a touch of characteristic sultriness. "Got any plans for the future, or am I going to have to beat a few ideas into you?"

"Heh heh, there's n-no need for that. I'm actually going to go to college in a week. I want to become a teacher."

Spider turned her head to look at Claire and raised an eyebrow.

"A teacher? Hn… A girl's gotta go her own way. I guess that means I'll be seeing less of you." Shrugging, the woman turned away. "Eh, oh well. I don't have much else to teach you anyway. And besides, you've made nice with your parents, so you don't need me to answer your questions anymore."

"…Actually, I have one question, Spider."

The woman turned back to Claire and smiled.

"Still calling me that? I have a name, and I think you know it."

It was just an assumption. Juri Han was the woman who brought a slew of troubles her parents' way. She was fearless, merciless, and dangerous. As the one who pit Shadaloo and S.I.N. against each other, she was also highly manipulative and resourceful. Given those traits, it was understandable that Claire began to guess that Juri was the woman's name. Further convincing was the fact that she knew her parents and also knew about their pasts.

"It's… it's Juri, isn't it?" Claire asked.

"That's my name, don't wear it out… Anyway, what's your question?" Before Claire could even speak, Juri wagged her finger. "Ah ah ah, aren't you forgetting something?"

Claire sighed and nodded her head. Of course, payment. She checked herself for a moment to ascertain that she had it on her before reaching into one of her pockets. Juri's lone eye followed her every movement with a mixture of want and some alien emotion. Having found the item she was looking for, Claire pulled it out and approached her. The woman offered her hand and took her payment without hesitation.

Juri held up a tiny piece of metal to her eye and analyzed it. Unbeknownst at first, the pieces of machinery in Claire's parents' black box were in fact the pieces of a powerful entity. For every hard question the girl asked, she was forced to give up one of these pieces to Juri. It seemed fine at first, and even when she learned that the completed machine was called the Feng Shui Engine and was capable of tremendous and terrible power, she kept bringing the pieces to the Korean. Like before, no price was too great when applied to knowledge.

"Hmm… I wonder how you manage to get these pieces for me."

"Every time I take a piece out, I put a small rock in to offset the weight lost," Claire said. "I don't think my parents have caught on yet."

"Crafty girl, you've learned so much! Keep this up and you might just bring a tear to my eye!"

Juri took out a small brown sack and dumped the contents of it out into her hand. A myriad of parts from the Feng Shui Engine laid neglected there. All of them were in pristine condition save for a few. One or two of them had bits of dried blood from over a decade.

"Was that the last piece?"

"Yes," Claire replied, nodding.

"I suppose I should thank you, then," Juri mumbled as she began to arrange the pieces in her hand. "Now, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

The memory of her parents' big revelation burned brightly in Claire's mind. She remembered how they sat down with her and went through old wounds and tore open old scars just to appease their daughter. Needless to say, she was extremely grateful for that. Whatever questions she had would be answered truthfully and without any lies. However, many questions about Juri Han were left unanswered, for her parents did not have information of their own to give.

Claire chose to settle on one now that the person in question was standing right in front of her.

"I heard from my parents about the Illuminati and about some temple in the mountains somewhere. My mother went there after a fighting tournament to arrest a man named Gill." Juri absentmindedly fiddled with the pieces in her hand, yet she nodded to show she was still paying attention. "She couldn't beat him. Everyone was beaten and exhausted, and I guess they were afraid they were going to die."

"I imagine your mother's bleeding heart stopped beating there for a moment when she realized she wasn't as strong as she thought she was," Juri muttered disdainfully.

"You came along," Claire said, completely ignoring Juri's comment. "Mom said you just appeared out of the blue and fought like a woman possessed. From what they've told me about you, you weren't the type to go out of your way to do something good."

Juri looked up from her pieces and scowled.

"Get to the point."

"Why come back after all those years of hanging in the shadows? Why did you fight Gill? And how did you survive that fall?"

"That's three questions."

"I think I'm entitled to know," Claire stated boldly.

"You think so, huh?" Juri sighed before returning to her work. "Alright, I'll spill the beans then. To be honest, I never wanted to get back into the limelight or public view again. When I finished my work with S.I.N. eighteen years ago, I got drunk, got laid, and was happy for the first time in what seemed like forever." A few flicks of the wrist and Juri had begun to piece together a rough outline of the Feng Shui Engine. "Sure, I liked being chased, but I knew that I would eventually be found and soon the entire world would be after me. I laid low in a couple spots from time to time, picking my fun wherever and whenever I could get it."

The woman's tone took a sharp dip.

"I wished I could have lived my life like that until I died, but life had a way of throwing off all of my plans. I stayed too long in one spot and got too attached. There was an investment of mine that I had to tend to. It wasn't until the Illuminati caught wind of me did they jeopardize that investment." Baring her teeth, Juri looked up at Claire. "No one steals from me. I searched for the man responsible and found Gill. Bastard wanted my eye, said it would help his cause in some way or another. He just had to take something from me to persuade me, and boy was he convincing." Juri turned back to the pieces of her eye and shook her head. "I gave him my eye, just not in the way he intended."

"I don't understand…" Claire mumbled to herself. To Juri, she said, "So you fought him and won, but how did you survive?"

"Let's just say it was a case of… divine intervention," Juri said with a tired smile and a wink.

"You're not being very specific," Claire said.

"Don't have to be. Answers are answers, regardless of how cryptic they are."

In just a few minutes, Juri had quickly and quietly pieced together the Feng Shui Engine in the palm of her hand. She cleaned off whatever dried blood was left and held the spherical device up for examination. It wasn't complete, as it would need some kind of holding agent, but disregarding that, it seemed like it was as good as new. The tiniest spark of energy erupted from the eye almost like a welcoming gesture. Juri smiled when she saw it.

Claire looked at the eye, then to Juri. With all the pieces set and restored, the eye could be used for just about any purpose again. Increased ki generation, stabilized vitality, enhanced strength, depth perception, mindless fun, murder, wanton destruction, the works. The blond-haired girl frowned and took a step back when she thought about that. She hoped she did not make a mistake by giving the woman back her eye. She wanted to help her, but she didn't want her to use the eye for evil like it was eighteen years ago.

As an eerie purple haze began to form around Juri's hand and the Feng Shui Engine, Claire spoke out.

"What are you going to-"

An audible crunch echoed throughout the area. Claire blinked and raised her eyebrows in shock and amazement. The purple haze around Juri's hand parted to show a clenched fist. For a moment, everything was quiet. Only the gentle coo of the wind and the scattered activity of automobiles pierced the silence. The Korean stared at her fist in silent reflection before she tightened her grip on the eye. Again, the sounds of crunching were heard.

Claire just stared in awe. For years, Juri had pestered for and demanded the pieces of the Feng Shui Engine. They were exchanged for information like money was, but in Juri's case, the pieces were invaluable and held sentimental value. She could not give them up! How could she just destroy the very thing she had been searching for? Obviously the contraption meant the world to her if she wanted it back in her hands! Claire just could not understand Juri's reasoning.

Then again, she did not fully understand the woman.

Without any dramatic movements, Juri opened her hand and dropped a thin pile of grey ashes. They fell to the ground and remained there, unceremoniously discarded. The wind picked up a little and threatened to blow the ashes away, but Juri didn't seem to care. Instead, she looked back up at Claire with a proud smile. The look in her right eye was one of accomplishment, as if nothing could stop her from feeling pride. Her reasons for destroying her most defining feature were her own.

"W-why did you do that?" Claire squeaked.

"An excellent question," Juri commented. She waved her hand in a nonchalant fashion towards the ashes. "My offer still stands. You find a piece, you get an answer."

It was a challenge, but Claire chose not to accept it. She watched with a confused look as the wind blew away the ashes of the machine. The reason for Juri's behavior would never be discovered by the girl. It would simply be for the best that she left it be. She heard footsteps retreating and looked up to see Juri as she made her way to the edge of the garden. The woman rolled her shoulders and looked over the concrete walls to the city below.

"You don't know how much you're like your mothers," she said. She turned around and looked at Claire. "Always questioning, always searching for answers. Will you do me a favor?"

Claire nodded reluctantly.

"What is it?"

"…Go live your life kid. Live it your own way and don't let anyone tell you differently." Juri placed her hands on the wall behind her and raised herself up to sit on the edge. "And remember this: hang tough! Never, ever give up."

And with that, the woman leaned back and disappeared over the edge. Claire ran over and looked down for her, but Juri was gone. Perhaps she had business to attend to, or perhaps she was set on practicing what she had been preaching. Regardless, Claire knew in the pit of her heart that this would be the last time she would ever see that woman. She took her words to heart from that day forward, always remembering what Juri did for her, and, in a lighter sense, what she did for Juri.

* * *

"Thhhbbiiit!"

"Hehehe! That's such a funny noise!"

"…Thhhbbiiitt!?"

"How do you do that? That's so neat!"

Mallory huffed, pouted her lips, and stormed off and away from Chris. At only four years of age, it seemed as if she was determined to cause as much chaos as possible. Crayons were off-limits after that 'lovely' mural on the bedroom wall, the dog ran away with its tail tucked between its legs, and the older brother was routinely bothered. It seemed like nothing could stop her from fighting with him, but Chris, who was now seven, had an ace up his sleeve.

The blonde-haired boy shook his head in amusement as he watched his sister leave. Thanks to his father's parenting, he knew just how to win against her. Whenever she tried being mean, he would respond with kindness and completely ignore her taunts. The result was that all malicious momentum was either lost or flipped around. Chris turned around and walked back to Mel, his father, who smiled at his coming.

"You get her again?" he asked.

"Yep!"

"That's great, just keep at it and she'll eventually leave you alone."

Chris nodded and went back to his romp through the garden of his grandmothers. A beautiful giggle brought Mel's attention back to Claire, who was staring at him intently.

"That's an interesting way of nicking her behavior, don't you think?"

"Hey, it works, doesn't it?" Mel replied.

"I think it's a new and interesting method myself," Chun-Li commented as she sat down in a nearby chair next to her wife. "Cammy? What do you think?"

"Hmm, what do I think… I think it's alright, I guess," Cammy mumbled with a smile. "I'm just glad we never had to put you through that kind of thing, although if I remember correctly, we did have to ground you a couple times when you and Mel got a little too rowdy."

Claire rolled her eyes. Ever since her days in college, her mothers had been either lamenting over her sudden absence or poking fun of her when she was present. Such was to be expected from a recently retired Colonel and her also retired wife. Nevertheless, they supported her through her educational decisions and accepted her desire to become an elementary school teacher. It seemed obvious that a girl who hungered for knowledge and answers would be generous enough to share them with the world, and what better way to do so than to teach the next generation of aspiring minds and ankle-biters, as Cammy chortled one day.

While in college, Claire was delighted to find that Ken Masters had established a foothold in England. As was the Masters tradition, he sent Mel to a private school where he learned the tools of the trade. The boy grew both in intellect and strength, as his fighting style was further refined by his father's greatest friend, Ryu. Mel eventually climbed the social ladders like his father did and took his seat atop the Masters' European branch. He did not make the climb all by his lonesome, however.

After graduating college, he asked for Claire's hand in marriage and was immediately obliged.

"I wasn't that bad," Claire mumbled.

"No, but you made us run for advice when you got the privilege to drive," Chun-Li replied. "I swear, every other day was a battle for the keys. Can I go here, can I go there, can I please go out with my friends? On and off, just traveling around burning up gas!"

"Thankfully, we knew Mel Masters was a good boy, unlike his father," Cammy muttered. "You'd be alright with him."

"What about me?" Mel interjected with a surprised look. "I had a lean blonde running over to me every week to pull me away from the books! I'm surprised I even got through college with all those nights in the city!"

Claire lightly but playfully smacked her husband on the arm.

"Come now, you know you wanted to spend time with me. Besides, you always had the choice to say no."

"But then I'd be subjected to the infamous pout, and I can't resist that pout," Mel shot back cheekily.

Chun-Li laughed and lightly jostled the blonde next to her. It seemed that as the years flew by, more and more traits and qualities of the two were seen in her daughter. Claire was a social creature, an intellectual, and a very proud, stubborn, and determined woman. The way she carried herself was reminiscent of Chun-Li's own attitude, and the way she talked so tactfully yet bluntly was thanks to growing up under Cammy's influence.

At five foot four, she had grown into a fair yet beautiful woman. There were a few curves here and there that made a few men turn their heads, but other than the inherited assets, Claire remained a common sight. She preferred the look not on account of a distaste for models or awkwardly-sized woman with exaggerated features, but on the idea that the world could manage her and leave her be. And if the world did rear its ugly head in her direction, the muscle built up after years of training combined with a few kicks would be sure to deter any soul stupid enough to cross her.

"Ha! The White's pout lives on, even in the grandchildren!"

"Speaking of grandchildren," Cammy said, ignoring her wife's tormenting chuckles, "it's good to see them again. Thanks for bringing them by, honey."

"Well, I knew how much you two wanted them, and I knew they were just dying to see the cats again," Claire said. "Was it you who pointed out my hips, or was it mom?"

"That was me," Chun-Li said unabashedly as she raised her hand. "I said, 'I gave you my hips for a reason, so you and Mel had better get to work'! Have you got any more coming along? Do you need any help? I've got a few tips in bed if you need them, so just ask if you're at a loss."

"M-mom! Really? Right in front of Mel?"

"Oh don't mind me," Mel said as he waved his hand. "I have a pervert of sorts for a dad."

At that moment, Chris came running back to the four adults with a smile on his face. Mallory followed close behind with a disgusted look. She looked up at Mel and stomped her feet on the ground, her way of getting attention.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Mallory?" Mel asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I'm going to stop being mean to Chris because he's being so nice," she said quickly in a defeated tone of voice.

Before Chris knew what was happening, Mallory went and wrapped her little arms around him. She gave him a big hug that nearly toppled him over before breaking free. Without a pout or another raspberry, she walked off with her head down. All the adults cooed in wonder while Chris was left standing, wondering what had just happened. He rubbed his eyes and took off after his sister.

Immediately, Mel turned his head to look at Claire. The widest of grins was on his face.

"Pin the blue ribbon of parenting upon my chest, because I'm the best dad in the whole world!"

"Hehehe, that you are…"


End file.
